8 Ways to be a better Director

Directors are unique as artists in that they must not only have a clear vision of their work and what they’re trying to achieve but they must rally a team of other artists to execute on that vision. While a painter or writer might have to manage an assistant or two, the Director must lead an army.

To be a leader, you have to have a strong sense of self. What is your philosophy on filmmaking? You have to know what kind of films you want to make and HOW you want to make them. It’s not just knowing what you want to tell stories about, it’s also knowing how you want people on your set to be treated, how you want them to treat each other, and how you yourself will respond to the situations that inevitably arise on set.

This is an area of growth for me and should be for all directors no matter how experienced. We all have our own strengths and weaknesses that we must tend to and nurture. For example, I’m a self-identified introvert and there are certain challenges that come with that (though there are certain strengths that come with it as well).

Over time, I’ve developed a set of rules for myself that I think help me be a better leader and a better storyteller. I’ll share them here for posterity and in the hopes that they may help you as well.

1. Be an advocate for the story.

   As a Director, you are going to work with a lot of people who are all going to advocate for their part of the endeavor. The cinematographer will advocate for the image, the producer will advocate for the budget (or the client), the actors will advocate for the performance, etc. None of those elements is necessarily more or less important than the other. So how do you weigh the competing interests and values of each? Start with the story. Inevitably you will have to fight for the elements that are most important to the story. For example, you might want to hire a certain actor for a part in the film whose rate is outside the budget. The Producer will likely present a collection of other actors to you within the budget. You will have to make the case to her as to why this particular actor is critical for the role. If you make that case successfully, she may then tell you that you need to make compromises elsewhere to make room for that actor. If you know the story well enough, knowing how and when to make such compromises will be much clearer to you and will allow you to communicate to your team why those compromises should be made.

2. Be brave.

   It’s important to have your own voice as a Director and sometimes that requires a willingness to buck the trends. This isn’t always easy because everyone, especially in the beginning of your career, will question your aesthetic choices. They will want you to lean on the experience of others or repeat something that someone else did. “Don’t shoot it like that. Let me tell you how to shoot it. I’ve been doing this longer than you.” Or “Here’s how this other Director did it. Do it like that.” But that can be a formula for boredom. Don’t be boring. Be brave. Use your own voice to tell stories.

3. Be collaborative and listen.

   When someone tells you you’re wrong or that the way you’re doing things is going to mess up the project, don’t ignore them. I realize this sounds like a contradiction to point 2 but it’s not. Consider what your team has to offer. Then, go back to the story and consider whether their way is going to make the story better and go from there.

4. Have a plan and a backup plan…and don’t be afraid to throw both away.
   Coming to set prepared will do wonders for you and help save time. People will see that you’ve given the story ample consideration and you know exactly what you want. That will engender trust. At the same time, know that plans rarely go accordingly. Be prepared to wing it and come up with something on the spot. Lean on your team for help when those things happen (see Rule #3). Communicate to them that you’re trying to accomplish “x” but the elements you needed aren’t there. See if they have a solution. They might surprise you and they’ll appreciate you being open to input.

5. Never yell at people.

   Working on a movie is stressful. There’s never enough money, never enough time, and there’s a great deal of pressure on everyone to succeed. So people are going to perform better when the leader of that set is an anchor in the storm. Part of it for me is just trying to set the right tone on set. That tone is “we’re here to make something great.” Remain calm and positive - especially when things go wrong. If needed (and sometimes it is needed), there’s no shame in stepping away to calm your nerves. Make an excuse to do so, compose yourself, and then return, with a calm mind, ready to problem solve. If you can do this, people will respect you and follow you to the end of the earth.

6. Resolve differences in private.

   Let’s be honest - you’re going to disagree with people sometimes. It happens. But do not resolve differences or address problems with those people in front of others. Pull them aside or into another space if you need to. Even if the conversation starts in public, if you can sense it turning sour, do your best to move the conversation into a private space. The minute the rest of the crew detects that you have a difference with someone on set, people start to make assumptions, spread gossip, and take sides. It’s not healthy for the production. Settle it in private and move on.

7. Be encouraging.

   If you’re the person in charge, a kind word will mean the world. I’m not always great about this one admittedly. I some times will call cut and immediately begin tweaking the camera or lighting and the actor will look at me and say “How was that?” at which point I know I messed up because I forgot to tell them the take was great. When someone does a good job, let them know! They’ll appreciate it and keep coming back to you for more.

8. Be decisive.

   This is one of the most important things you can do to engender trust on set. If people see that you’re unsure of a decision, unable to delegate, and unable to make a move in general, they won’t trust you as a Director. And why should they? The Director’s job is to lead. How can you trust a leader who doesn’t know what direction to go in? So make a decision and own it. If you’re not sure, at least make a suggestion and ask for feedback. But don’t shrug your shoulders and wait for someone else to make the decision for you.

I hope this list is helpful for you as you move forward either as a Director or as a leader in your field. Write me and let me know if you think I should add anything to this list or if you disagree with something I’ve written. I’d love to hear from you and learn from your experience.

The Science of Storytelling

Storytelling is at the heart of what I do. Whether I’m developing content for a script, building a commercial campaign, or making a documentary, it all starts with a story.

But why stories? You don’t have to tell a story to market something…do you? As a filmmaker, I could be accused of bias, but I contend the power of storytelling is something we all understand intuitively.

“OUR BRAINS ARE WIRED FOR STORIES.”

Think about the amount of time you spend telling stories in every day conversation. Jeremy Hsu at Scientific American conducted studies that revealed personal stories and gossip—yes, that counts too—make up 65% of our conversations. We use storytelling as a way of gaining allies, conveying ideas, and seeking empathy. You might share a story with your colleague about an interesting trip you took, or tell your spouse about a rough day at work. You might tell a story to your children as a way of teaching them.

That’s because we know stories have the power to change perspectives on the world. The movie “Jaws,” for example, instilled a cautious fear in a whole generation of beachgoers. Space films like “The Martian” often inspire people to learn about science. There are plenty of such examples.

Still, you might ask, couldn’t we just read leaflets on the dangers of sharks or listen to a presentation on the scientific value of space travel? Would our perspective not be equally changed? Not necessarily.

Brain Games

When we view information conveyed to us through written text, two key areas of our brain are activated. Scientists call these Broca’s area and Wernicke’s area, the language-processing parts of our brain where we decode words in to meaning.

And that’s it. Nothing else happens.

When we are told a story, however, something profoundly different happens. Not only are the language-processing parts in our brain activated, but any other area in our brain that we would use to interpret the events of the story is activated, as well.

For example, stories are typically accompanied by descriptive words that arouse our sensory perception. Studies conducted at Emory University in Atlanta and by the Laboratory of Language Dynamics in France showed that metaphors and descriptive language have a more powerful impact on how we react to the retelling of some event rather than simple adjectives.

A team of researchers from Emory University reported in the journal of Brain and Language that when subjects in their laboratory read a metaphor involving texture, the sensory cortex became active. This is the part of your brain responsible for perceiving texture through touch. Metaphors like “the singer had a velvet voice” and “he had leathery hands” roused the sensory cortex, while phrases matched for meaning, like “the singer had a pleasing voice” and “he had strong hands” did not.

Inception Is Real

This means descriptive language of the type you’d use for telling stories, rather than just transferring factual information, can work to activate many parts of our brain. Quite literally, a story can put your whole brain to work. And it gets even better.

“QUITE LITERALLY, A STORY CAN PUT YOUR WHOLE BRAIN TO WORK.”

When we tell stories to others, fictional or not, we can shift their perspective to better align with our own. Studies in what’s known as “neural coupling” have been conducted where both the storyteller and the listener’s brains were analyzed for consistencies. In one study, two people were placed in fMRI machines where one would tell a story while the other would listen. When the storyteller would have activity in a particular part of the brain, the listener would experience the exact same activity in his or her brain. In other words, simply by telling a story, the storyteller could plant thoughts and emotions in the brain of the listener.

Our brains are wired for stories. Broken down into the simplest form, a story is a connection of cause and effect, and that is exactly how we think. We create narratives in our minds to help us justify and understand our own decisions.

Why you should start with why

In 2012 I left my fun and cushy job to join a video production company. It was a startup and I was taking a big risk. I’d spent seven years at that point working for Apple and had managed a team of 6 people and served as a leader in the company for over five years at that point. My position there was firm and I was leaving to join a no name startup. But I also knew that my career needed fresh energy and my portfolio needed more diversity. So I was going to join this small company where I would be able to direct documentary shorts and expand my body of work. It was the first time I’d taken such a risk. I could feel the adrenaline pumping in my blood when I accepted the job. I was married with a one year old daughter relying on me to earn a living. But I felt confident that I was making the right choice.

Then something changed. Shortly after having accepted the position, my CEO called me to welcome me to the company and tell me how excited he was to have me on board. Then he said something to me I’ll never forget - “I just have one request: don’t ever ask me why.”

I knew in that moment, I’d made a mistake. What the CEO was effectively telling me was that he didn’t want me to ever question his judgement or ask why we were doing things a certain way. Everything about this ran contrary to what I’d learned about leadership at Apple. I didn’t want to believe my instinct in that moment that I’d made a mistake but as it turns out, my instincts were right. A little over a year later, the company had lost its momentum and I found my position eliminated and soon I was back to freelancing.

There were a lot of reasons the company went under that had nothing to do with the CEO. Arguably, however, the CEO might have considered other avenues of success and found ways to pivot toward a successful avenue if he had been more open minded to feedback and input from employees.

When people aren’t allowed to ask why, I think it’s a reflection of insecurity at the top. And most people feel the same way. Even if they don’t say it out loud, people understand that when a leader isn’t willing to have their judgement questioned, that the leader may be insecure. Even worse, the leader themselves may understand that the reasons they’re doing what they’re doing are actually illogical or based on emotion and so they’re not able to justify the reasoning behind their actions. This can lead to insecurity throughout the team. When the team doesn’t know why they’re doing what they’re doing, you can be sure that breeds unhappiness and corruption.

But when people understand the driving philosophy behind the organization then they are primed to make better decisions. All their decision making can be derived from their driving purpose. This is critical because there’s only so many hours in the day for each member of the team and only so many dollars for the team to spend. Do I want to do business with this vendor? Do I make this purchase? Where should my energy go on this project? All those decisions can be made easier when we understand our purpose and why we’re doing what we’re doing.

Some leaders might fear that if their team knows the “why”, they’ll disagree with them and want to leave. But that’s actually a good thing. Why would you want someone on your team who doesn’t buy in to your vision? Yes, it’s inconvenient to lose them but ultimately they’ll be happier finding an organization that is aligned with their values. And, as a leader, you’ll be better off finding someone who aligns with yours.

This even holds true in film production. Filmmaking is a collaborative effort so when someone brings an idea to the table that you disagree with, you don’t want to discourage them by shooting down the idea without explanation. You want to explain your reasoning. Why? So that you get that creative thinking on the same wavelength as you. If they’re coming up with ideas that don’t align with your vision, clarify the vision for them. That way they’ll start coming up with ideas that align with yours. Now, you’ve got an ally in the filmmaking process.